November 10, 2013

9:00 AM meeting for worship (unprogrammed): care of meeting, Mary Snyder

9:45 AM worship with attention to business: Ranae Hanson, clerk; Tom Ward, recording clerk

11:15 AM meeting for worship (semi-programmed): Sandy Olson, speaker; care of meeting, David Woolley

Our life is love, and peace, and tenderness; and bearing one with another, and forgiving one another, and not laying accusations one against another; but praying one for another, and helping one another up with a tender hand.” – Isaac Penington, 1667

TODAY

Welcome visitors! We are delighted you are here. Please sign the guestbook and feel free to attend meeting for business, the Weds. night reading group or other activities listed in this bulletin. We especially encourage you to attend Quaker Quest sessions this and next Sunday afternoons.

Nursery care today is downstairs with Susie Kanimitsu.

There is a Quaker Quest session this afternoon, Quakers and Equality and Social Justice, at 3:00. Presenters: Lolly Lijewski, Annette Smith and Zach White. This is the second session in the second series. Next Sunday’s presentation on Quakers and Integrity concludes our public sessions. These sessions offer a glimpse of Minneapolis Friends Meeting to the public (bring a friend or family member) but also offer a precious opportunity for us to get to know the panelists, talk with visitors and with one another. Thank you to everyone who has brought this opportunity to fruition!

HOLD IN THE LIGHT

Minneapolis Friends Meeting and Quaker Quest: that we are faithful witnesses to God’s grace, love and presence; that we are discovered by those whose relationship with the Divine might be encouraged and nurtured by being part of this community; that we be authentic.

MEETING MATTERS / CALENDAR

If you are new to the Meeting and Quakerism, we hope you will be able to attend Quaker Quest sessions, the next one this afternoon at 3:00, the final one next Sunday afternoon. Everyone who comes to Meeting is encouraged to bring friends or family members who might be interested in “sampling” Quaker life and worship. Pass on flyers and invite or bring someone!

The third and final Quaker Quest session, Quakers and Integrity, will be next Sun, Nov 17th, 3-5 PM. The presenters are Jane Furnas, Terry Hokenson and Jeannette Raymond.

Adult program next Sun, Nov. 17th at 10:15: Global climate change, economic upheaval, endless warfare — its enough to get a person down! Betsy Raasch-Gilman will lead a discussion about sources of hope and faith for us, even as we live in a time of growing uncertainty. This is a small installment of a six-week class she facilitated at Twin Cities Friends Meeting last winter.

Adult program at 10:15 on Nov. 24th: Mel Duncan, founding Executive Director and current Advocacy and Outreach Director of Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) will speak on “Nonviolent Peacekeeping: The alternative between doing nothing and sending in the bombs.” Mel recently visited Syria where NP is considering starting a peacekeeping project. Mel graduated from Macalester College and lives in St. Paul and New York City.

Adult program at 10:15 on Dec 1: Judith James will talk about how she uses Quaker Pastoral Care and counseling in her work with heroin and opiate addicts.

You are welcome to the worship in Bloomington at the home of Louise, Tues, Nov 12th, 7:00. All are welcome to come to this small, unprogrammed time of worship!

The George and Elizabeth Watson Memorial Discussion Group will again meet monthly, starting this Wed, Nov 13th, 7:00, at the meetinghouse. There is NO HOMEWORK–we will resume reading Letters to a Fellow Seeker: A Short Introduction to the Quaker Way. This group is open to everyone and is great basic Quaker education. Come one time only or every time or anything in-between!

The annual Thanksgiving potluck gathering will be … on Thanksgiving! Worship at 3:30, finishing touches at 4:00, feasting at 4:30, conversation, games and cleaning up into the evening. Any and all are invited, including relatives, friends, neighbors, whomever. Sign-up sheet by elevator, so we’ll know how many are coming and what they plan to bring. A good way to enjoy being in community and getting to know others better.

Save the Date: Friends for a NonViolent World (FNVW) Holiday Fair, Fri, Dec 6, 1:00 -9:00 and Sat, Dec 7, 10:00 – 4:00. What’s New this year? Three new vendors and takeout meals! Visit fnvw.org with new links – Cafe Menu, Vendor Lists, Musician Schedule, Quilts and Silent Auction, Used Books, Wreaths and Trees, Business Sponsors, and Volunteer Sign up – to find out more. It’s all at your fingertips!
FNVW receives 100% profit on all books, crafts, and Value Board items!
CRAFTS: Food items tend to sell well, but sew, knit, or paint to your hearts content! No plants please.
BOOKS: The Book Loft is a huge success each year and needs used books in good shape. Call FNVW offices, 651-917-0383, for drop off times and places.
VALUES BOARD: Donate or solicit gift certificates from stores, restaurants, or theaters you patron. One quick trip and FNVW gets 100% of the selling price! Call Nancy for details.

Winona Friends invite you and all Minneapolis Friends folks for a Driftless Area Thanksgiving Inter-visitation. Worship at 10 AM, Sun, Nov, 24 with a potluck lunch to follow. First Day School and child care provided – St. Paul’s Episcopal Church’s annex on Lafayette Street, (E. Broadway and Lafayette St. in Winona). We look forward to seeing you!

Offering boxes are located on small tables near the meetingroom doors. Average contributions of $9,725 per month ($2,431 per week) are needed to meet our budget. In October, $6,530.66 was contributed to the general budget; an average of $1,632.67 per week. Thank you, Friends, for your generous support of the Meeting in all manner of ways.

OUR WIDER QUAKER COMMUNITY

A Northern Yearly Meeting retreat for high school Quaker youth will be held November 22-24 at the Greenler Farm near Madison, WI. Friendly Adult Presence-es and participants are being sought. For more, contact the coordinator, Celeste, at crobins2(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)macalester.edu.

Exploring what worked about the Quaker involvement for marriage equality and how we might build on that experience, refocus, and apply it to other justice and social change work, gather for a Pivot presentation, tomorrow night, Nov 11, 6:30-8:30 pm, St. Paul Area Council of Churches, 1671 Summit Ave., St. Paul. Liz Oppenheimer, facilitator.

A Quaker Youth Pilgrimage to Bolivia and Peru is planned for July -August, 2014! A group of 16-18 year-olds will travel, worship and work together, experiencing the diversity of Friends’ traditions and strengthening their relationship with God as they explore the regions and meet the Quakers of South America. Pilgrims and adult leaders sought! Leaders, apply by Nov 15 (preference for bilingual English / Spanish skills); pilgrims, apply by Dec 1 (Spanish skills helpful but not a prerequisite.) More at fwccamericas.org/QYP-Andes.shtml

An unprogrammed worship in NE Minneapolis is being held on the fifth Fri evenings – the next one Nov 29th at 6:45 followed by a community meal at 7:30; Grace Center for Community Life, 1500 – 6th Str NE.

Are you interested in connecting with other Quakers in the US about the role that Quakers can and should play in the world of business? Would you like to be able talk to Friends who have a Friendly business point of view? Would you like to encourage young Friends to go into business? Convey your interest by completing a short survey (surveymonkey.com/s/PKDYJGD) so a group can begin to be organized.

From Friends Committee on National Legislation – U.S. Drones: Unjustified. New reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch document how secret U.S. drone strikes have killed civilians in violation of international law. Both reports underscore the lack of accountability, transparency and oversight of U.S. drone strikes. Drones enable assassinations and allow our government to target people for merely being in a certain location or behaving in a certain way. As Yemeni activist Faera Al-Muslimi told Congress, one drone strike instantly radicalizes people against the U.S. in ways that al Qaeda propaganda never could. Tell the administration: Don’t break international law. Suspend the armed drones program until we can have a full, transparent debate about their use.

“Shared Security: An Invitation to Re-imagine U.S. Foreign Policy” materials have been put together by Friends Committee on National Legislation and American Friends Service Committee to start a conversation about a new vision for U.S. foreign policy grounded in shared security as a global community. Review, debate, and responses to the draft statement are sought. Document and a study guide and also comment, at http://sharedsecurity.wordpress.com.

Save the Date: The next White Privilege Conference (WPC15) is in Madison, WI from March 26-29, 2014 with the theme of “Building Relationships! Strengthening Communities! Seeking Justice!” Friends General Conference’s Ministry on Racism program, its staff and volunteers, hopes you will be able to join them and encourage all members of midwestern meetings to attend. FGC expects to be able to provide another sizable discount to Friends across the country!

OUR WIDER COMMUNITY

Every Church a Peace Church will host a potluck and discussion tomorrow, Nov 11, 6:30 p.m. at United Church of Christ, 1000 Long Lake Road in New Brighton. The program: An Introduction to Nonviolent Peaceforce and Unarmed Civilian Peacekeeping with Ann Warner and Thor Wagstrom, local leaders. The U.S. NP office is located in Mpls.

Hear a panel discussion of food justice, TODAY, Nov 10th, 1- 3 PM, First Universalist Church, 3400 Dupont Ave So. The reality of industrial food production, the changing climate and the paradox of widespread hunger and obesity calls us, as people of faith, to both understand and attempt to align our eating with our beliefs. A light vegan meal provided. No fee but an RSVP is needed: Judy Broad at: jab679(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)gmail.com .

Joint Religious Legislative Coalition and Minnesotans for Responsible Lending and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Mpls, are convening a summit to raise awareness about predatory payday lending in MN on Thurs, Nov 14, 3:30-8:00 pm. 400% APR: A Summit to End Predatory Payday Lending will include presentations on the basic facts about payday lending in MN and some possible solutions, followed by free dinner and break-out sessions. Voices from all over the state – both rural and urban – are needed to stop the debt trap that is hurting our neighbors and communities. Holy Lutheran Church, 2730 East 31st St, Mpls, RSVP: Emily Shimkus: emily(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)jrlc.org, 612-230-3234.

Overcoming Racism Conference, Nov 15-16, Metropolitan State University, St. Paul. Register at: overcomingracism.org/2013/registration.html

OFFICE HOURS
Pat Jones will be in the office Wednesday from 2:00-5:00 and other times Wed, Thurs, Fri. and Sat.
Carolyn VandenDolder, the Administrative Assistant, will be out of the office until November 29th. Bulletin deadline, noon Thur. Bulletin items can be phoned in to the office, emailed or written and put in the bulletin file of the blue box.